AliKat, you're post caught my eye, and although off topic I'd like to hear what you though of the nitrox course as, you say "no comparison" do you mean just lots of bookwork?
Back on topic, I did a navigation dive for my AOW and it was a lot of fun. Having a great instructor played a big part in that.
We did squares, triangles using compass as well as natural nav. (using reef, position of sun, tide marks in the sand)
For some reason, before doing the dive, it seemed like the most impossible undertaking imaginable. On my previous dives I had no sense of where I was or the direction I was facing.
So you can appreciate that when I lead my buddy round the third turn in the square and to my complete surprise there was the home marker sitting right where I was heading I was the happiest man on the planet !
I'd like to do the nav. specialty. The AOW gave me a great appreciation of taking more responsibility for my own diving and having an awareness of my surroundings and the direction I am heading relative to the boat etc.
Doing 1 "taster" dive of 5 specialties for my AOW just made me want to take the 5 specialties (and the other courses too).
You can never be too well trained.